The present disclosure is directed to navigation devices and systems. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to navigational processing for efficiently identifying and/or clustering points of interest (POI) on a navigational map.
Navigation systems are electronic, processor-based systems that aid in navigation. Navigation systems may be configured to be entirely on board a vehicle or vessel, or they may be located elsewhere and communicate via radio or other signals with a vehicle or vessel, or they may use a combination of these methods. Navigation systems may also be configured within a portable device, such as a laptop, smart phone, tablet and the like. Navigation systems may be capable of containing maps, which may be displayed in human readable format via text or in a graphical format, determining a vehicle or vessel's location via sensors, maps, or information from external sources, providing suggested directions to a human in charge of a vehicle or vessel via text or speech, providing directions directly to an autonomous vehicle such as a robotic probe, providing information on nearby vehicles or vessels, or other hazards or obstacles, and providing information on traffic conditions and suggesting alternative directions.
In existing navigation systems, users are capable of searching for POIs. However, users cannot efficiently search for multiple POIs simultaneously using generic names (e.g., “gas station”, “bank”, “restaurant”) and/or names specific to a generic category (e.g., “BP”, “Bank of America”, “TGI Fridays”). Furthermore, there are no existing systems that can intelligently cluster multiple POI results and process the results into an efficient routing for the user.